The Department of Justice is suing Connecticut and New Haven, saying that their "sanctuary" policies interfere with President Trump's immigration agenda.
Those named in the suit include Gov. Ned Lamont, state Attorney General William Tong, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, all Democrats.
The complaint seeks to invalidate parts of the state's Trust Act of 2013, which limits how local law enforcement interacts with federal agents.
The federal suit also targets New Haven's "Welcoming City" executive order of 2020, which welcomes residents without regard to their immigration status.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate says Connecticut communities have "paid the price of these misguided sanctuary policies."
In a statement, Tong promised to fight the suit, saying, "It is a shame that the President and the Department of Justice are not focused on public safety but are wasting federal resources on attacking Connecticut with a baseless lawsuit that has no foundation in law or fact. Connecticut is not a "sanctuary" state, whatever that means. This term is meaningless and has no basis in Connecticut law."
"We will defend Connecticut and Connecticut families and fight this lawless attack with every fiber of our being.”
Mayor Elicker of New Haven says, "It's not surprising that the Trump Administration is targeting us, I've been a vocal critic of the Trump Administration and their policies, particularly around their very aggressive attacks against immigrants that are just trying to make a living here."
“Our laws do not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law," says Gov. Lamont. "Rather, they reflect a longstanding principle: the federal government cannot require states to use their personnel or resources to carry out federal enforcement responsibilities."
